Billy Corgan Has ’26 Songs Currently in Various States of Completion, Production, Insanity’

Will there be a Smashing Pumpkins classic-era lineup reunion in 2018? That remains to be seen, but one thing that is known is that Billy Corgan has been hammering away on new music in the studio. The singer also gave fans some further insight into the progress of his latest work, revealing that there are "26 songs currently in various states of completion, production, insanity."

Corgan has posted photos in the studio of himself with drummer Jimmy Chamberlin and guitarist James Iha, as well as modern era Pumpkins pal Jeff Schroeder, and while Chamberlin and Schroeder have both been captured playing instruments, Iha's shot was more of him just hanging out with Corgan and Chamberlin, leaving his playing status still with a bit of mystery. Also part of the mystery is knowing whether or not Corgan is working on a solo effort, like he did with last year's Ogilala, or whether it will fall under the Pumpkins banner.

In his new posting, the singer reveals, "Ok, I misspoke. Today wasn't the last day in studio. More work ahead (lyrics, vocals, strings). Which I guess means something like 26 songs currently in various states of completion, production, insanity. But honestly, and I mean this from the heart, I'm very pleased to be this engaged with making new music at this point in my life. I started playing the guitar April 1, 1981, so almost 37 years later the colors remain vivid in my mind, there are still fresh (and dare I say provocative) subjects to address, and the guitar feels once again like the preferred weapon of choice."

The latter line in Corgan's message is of interest as he seemed to be veering toward piano more during his 2017 promotion of the Ogilala album. The stripped-back offering showcased the singer with a more vulnerable vibe to his music, but with the guitar coming back into play, it's possible we'll get a more rocked up release.

The mention of 26 tracks seems to fall in line with Corgan's comments from December 2017, when he stated in an Instagram post that he had spent time in Nashville working on a "more stark and tangled" collection of music, with potential plans for a double album.

Time will tell what happens with the Smashing Pumpkins lineup for 2018, but it certainly looks like things are progressing for more fresh music from Corgan this year.